Ada Emeline Wells

Daughter of Horace C. and Celestia Lucinda (Cole) Hackett. At the time of the 1870 U.S. Census, her family of 8 was living in Newport and used the North Troy post office. Her father was a cooper, and Ada was attending school.

By the time she married she was living in Lowell, VT. She married farmer Samuel Eben Wells there in Lowell on 27 Dec 1879, ceremony officiated by Rev H. N. Hovey. In a business directory, Sam is listed as having a farm of 63 acres in Coventry, VT and Ada's mother living on 50 acres in Troy, VT.

By 1900 Sam and Ada had all 8 of their children. The youngest had died an infant in 1897. They had moved to Irasburg, house #79 and farm #44 on the U.S. Census. They were making payments on their farm. Most of the children were enrolled in school.

By the 1910 U.S. Census they were living in Irasburg Town with just their youngest two children, Jennie and Ray, living with them. They also housed their hired man, Ivan Ingalls, and were making mortgage payments on their farm.

By 1920 Ivan had married their youngest daughter Jennie, and bought the farm from them. Ada & Sam were still living in Irasburg Town, and Ada's mother Celestia had moved in with them. Daughter Viola had died, and her daughter also was staying with them and was attending school. Ada's occupation is listed as dressmaking, and Sam was working for Ivan on the farm.

In 1927 both Sam and Ada's mother died within a couple days of each other. By 1930 Ada had sold the huge house and moved to Orleans Village on Irasburg Street. She took in boarders to help pay her bills. Her new home was valued at $3000. By 1940 her home value had dropped to $2000, and she was still putting up lodgers to make ends meet. Most of them worked at the furniture factory within sight down the street.

Ada died Christmas Eve 1953 after a month's stay in the Orleans County Memorial Hospital.